Rockbourne Fair raises ‘incredible’ £51,000 for the Stars Appeal

Members of the Rockbourne Fair Committee handed over their donation, which surpassed the amount raised in 2021, to the President of the Stars Appeal, Lord Pembroke, the charity’s Hospital Ambassadors, and the Hospital’s chief executive Stacey Hunter, during a special presentation event on Tuesday (January 10) at the Stars Appeal funded Beatrice Birth Centre.

Bev Moulding, the chair of the Rockbourne Fair Committee, said: “We are delighted that Rockbourne Fair 2022 has raised such an incredible amount for the Stars Appeal, totalling £51,482, compared with £50,301 in 2021. It was wonderful to see so many people come through the door and enjoy this unique shopping experience with over 100 stalls - the atmosphere was fantastic! This achievement is even more remarkable, given the current economic climate.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who made the event such a success - for the support of our stallholders, our volunteers and the generosity of everyone who attended.

This money will go on to make a big impact on the lives of so many people in Salisbury District Hospital and it's a great reminder of how we can come together to make a real difference to our local community."

The boutique shopping event, which is held annually, took place across three days from October 19th to 21st, 2022, at Salisbury Racecourse.

This year’s Rockbourne Fair is being held from October 18th to 20th at Salisbury Racecourse.

Donations from the Rockbourne Fair help the charity towards its goal of raising more than £1 million each year to fund projects supporting local people being treated at Salisbury District Hospital and the staff that care for them.

Lord Pembroke said: “As someone who has some experience in organising events, I really understand the time and also the effort that goes into pulling these things together. They can be quite stressful at times, but when organisers and the community come together, something special happens, and we get amazing results, which is clear from the incredible amount raised from the Rockbourne Fair.

“All I can say is thank you,” he added.

Dave Cates of the Stars Appeal said: “This wonderful gift takes us a huge step forward as we seek to fund over £ 1 million of enhancements at Salisbury District Hospital this year. Thousands of people every week benefit from Stars Appeal projects, from state-of-the-art scanners to accommodation for the parents of sick children; none of our work would be possible without the brilliant support of people like the Rockbourne Fair Committee, to whom we extend our most grateful and sincere thanks.”

The projects the Stars Appeal are looking to fund for 2023 include a £142,000 echocardiogram machine for the Cardiac Investigation Unit to reduce waiting times for patients awaiting diagnosis, £55,000 to fund new scalp cooling machines to help prevent hair loss for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy on the Pembroke Unit, a £20,000 brain function monitor for the Neonatal Unit, and a £15,000 mechanical CPR machine.

These are in addition to the ongoing projects supported by the Stars Appeal, which range from providing free Wi-Fi for patients, visitors and staff, a 24/7 Hospital Chaplaincy service, support for cancer patients, as well as the Stars Appeal toiletry packs, free TV cards and clothing for patients arriving at the hospital in an emergency or facing hardship.

To find out more about the Stars Appeal visit starsappeal.org or for the latest on the 2023 Rockbourne Fair, go to rockbournefair.org.uk.